Busy, Busy, Busy!

Hi everyone!

I have been busy this week and it will get busier! Last week my project was painting the family room. Next week things will be messy around here, but in the end well worth it.

First, I have been working on my version of a Raggedy Ann Doll, the doll show is on Saturday and I wanted to enter a doll. I love going to the doll show, they have a nice selection of antique dolls, all fun to look out, but the ones I truly love I cannot afford! My doll is almost finished, she needs her legs and apron and she will be finished. I am thinking maybe I will make her a cape like the vintage Raggedy Ann style doll pattern from the 1950's. Her dress is made from a reproduction 1950 feedsack print and I have some pale green flannel if I decide to make the cape.

My next project will be to remove all the stuff on my walls in the kitchen, dining room and living-room/front hall. On Monday I will be having crown moulding installed. A sample is on Raggedy Ann's "lap", 4 inch wide board with the traditional groves or whatever that is called. Also, finally, after about a year of not being sure what type of back splash I wanted after the kitchen was redone I have finally decided on what was my first choice. I will have bead board installed. I thought about tiny square tiles of tumbled stone in beige/white/gray, then I thought about a tin back splash but after really thinking about it I want the bead board. I love white kitchen cabinets, they remind me of our farmhouse in NY when I was a little girl, we had white wood cabinets and the kitchen looked so big, we had red/white gingham curtains, for me the room felt comforting. We also had a big black wood burning stove but after time my Mother got a "modern" stove. I guess my style is more farmhouse because growing up on a farm is a special memory of my childhood and I loved the old farm house. I am hoping this summer we can take drive to New York so I can see the house, "for old times sake". And the final project will be my family room fireplace mantel redo, I think that and the back splash excite me the most. The carpenter is going to "beef up the mantle" and add moulding trim, I do not want the brick covered but just a bigger mantle. I found a photo on line and showed him what I wanted and he said he can build it for me.

I will have photos after the work is done. I am happy that after painting the family room I have had a few days to relax and do normal things around the house. I am happy that I will not be doing this project, the carpenter said to plan on 3-4 days before he is finished and then I get to put the house back together. My next project will be our master bath, I want to paint that room a soft creamy white color and that I will do on my own.

Wishing everyone a wonderful rest of the week.

Family Room Re-do

On February 13th I started the prep work to paint our family room. I have disliked the paneled walls for many years and we have gone back and forth on what to do. Finally I thought I would try my hand at painting the walls and if it did now work out, well. . .we would have had to hire someone to "fix-the-mess"! We all agree that the end results are better than we could have imagined. Having painted the walls brightens the room and makes it look larger. My living room is huge, but we hardly ever use it, in fact we never use it! I wish the family room had been bigger, but it works well for us now.

I used a Benjamin Moore bisque white which is a shade lighter than the sofa. I once upon a time had a red/white/blue kitchen so things I used in there found their way in the family room. Some time down the road I want to get a new reclining chair and will slowly phase out the red/white and blue in here. ( I hope my husband did not read that!) Just a minor tweaking, hey I saved over $400.00 painting this room myself!

I finished up on February 16th and I am happy this project is almost finished. I have to finish the baseboard trim and pull up the cords for my computer to get them out of site. Painting a room is not really the difficult part, it is taking everything out of the room so you can start the project and then putting it all back!

Happy Valentine's Day

Taking a moment to wish my family and

friends a Happy Valentine's Day!

I just want to say I Love All Of You!

♥♥♥♥♥

I am not one to ask for diamonds, pearls, furs

candy or flowers,

my wish was to have my family room painted!

My sweet husband granted me my wish!

He bought me primer, rollers, brushes,

paint, tape, everything one would need in order to paint a room!

And the surprise was, are you ready. . .

I get to do it all by myself!

Be careful what you wish for!

(He also gave me a very nice gift card from my favorite store ♥ Home Goods ♥ )

All kidding aside, we have not liked the paneling in the family room for a very, very long time and I have been wanting to paint it so this is my project.

For as long as I have wanted to paint this room, that may be how long it will take me to paint it! In the end I know we will love it.

If I focus on what is done and not what needs to be done I can deal with it, I also keep a picture of my inspiration room on my PC monitor to keep me going!

Wishing everyone a wonderful week.

♥♥♥

Candy Hearts

When I see candy hearts around Valentine's Day I think of Raggedy Ann! I enjoy collecting and ready children's books. I love all the Raggedy Ann and Andy stories and I especially enjoyed reading the stories to my granddaughter and my grandsons when they came to visit.

What I enjoy about the Raggedy Ann and Andy stories is there is a lesson to be learned and the little rag dolls always show love and kindness. I guess this is why the stories written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle are still around today, they are a wonderful children's classic.

This is a Raggedy Ann doll I made five years ago, she has a little wooden heart in her chest and then I sew a little red felt heart on top. She won a blue ribbon in a doll show last year.

I collect the old home made Raggedy Ann dolls from a pattern that was available in 1940, the Raggedy Ann with a cape. My collection is not that large, I limit buying to only the ones who seem to be stuffed with loads of personality. I do not collect the newer Raggedy Ann dolls because to me they look nothing like Raggedy Ann in the illustrations.

May you all be blessed with a forever smile and candy hearts!